


i swear ill love in a different way

by Nyaanpantsu



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Brother/Brother Incest, Dante (Devil May Cry) is a Mess, Drinking to Cope, Dysfunctional Family, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned Kyrie (Devil May Cry), Mentioned Patty Lowell, PTSD, Post-Devil May Cry 5, Protective Nero (Devil May Cry), Sexual Tension, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 13:50:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyaanpantsu/pseuds/Nyaanpantsu
Summary: Dante was cloud watching again and that was not a good sign.“Is it that bad that you can’t trust me?” Nero tried.Dante’s gaze darkened, a deep frown ceasing his lips as he sighed. “Alright, fine. You promise you won’t tell anyone?”“I promise.”“I’m in love with your father.”
Relationships: Dante & Nero (Devil May Cry), Dante/Vergil (Devil May Cry), Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 174





	1. Chapter 1

Nero was _angry._

He was angry at Dante for calling him out here, wasting his time when he could be at home snuggling with Kyrie in a nice warm blanket chugging down some hot chocolate and roasting some marshmallows. _But nope._ The old bastard had left him doing most of the dirty work, because instead of slaying demons with him; Dante was cloud watching.

_That’s right, cloud watching._

Nero swore as he plunged his sword straight through an Empusa’s head, watching the demon wail, while it’s bubbly guts spewed everywhere. He revved up his engine blade and launched the demon at Dante, praying to Sparda ass that it’d hit him the face. But like a graceful ballerina, the old man gracefully side-stepped and raised a mirthful brow at Nero.

“Finally got your attention, I was beginning to feel a little ignored.” Nero said, resting his sword on his shoulder. “Mind sharing what’s on the weather forecast today?”

“Clear skies, and not a single drop of rain,” Dante replied. “Didn’t know you were craving for my attention so badly. You should’ve asked.”

Nero fought very hard to keep his face schooled. “Yeah, you basically handed me the torch.”

“Didn’t look like you needed my help anyways.”

Nero’s eye twitched. “Is there something you wanna talk about?”

_“No.”_

“The look on your face doesn’t match what you’re trying to sell, Dante.”

“That’s because it doesn’t concern you, Nero.”

“Not this shit again.”

“It’s not something you’d understand,” Dante said, turning away. “It’s personal.”

“Like hell I do, I already know how fucked to the head my family is. What exactly is it that I won’t understand?” Nero snapped.

Dante narrowed his eyes at him, lips taut, and hands clenched. “Promise me you won’t laugh.”

Nero rolled his eyes. “Does this have something to do with you running around in the shop and singing _Subhuman_ naked?”

Dante’s eyes and mouth flew open. “Hey, wait a sec, how the hell do you know about _that?!"_

“Your window was open one time and I saw everything,” Nero supplied. “Nico included.”

“Well, at least you two enjoyed the performance.”

Nero crossed his arms and frowned. “So, what’s eating you? If it’s not that, then what is it?”

“Sorry, Nero. I don’t think it’d be a smart move on my end,” Dante said, walking away. "For any of us."

Nero quickly fled to stand in his way, keeping Dante from running. The old man always had a nasty habit of running away when he’s disinterested and it fueled Nero’s rage, knowing that Dante distrusted him. “You can’t keep hiding things from me, Dante. The truth is eventually going to have to come out.”

“Not unless I keep my mouth shut.”

Nero suddenly shoved his pinkie finger in his face. Dante, being slightly caught off guard, leaned back with a confused look in his eye.

”Are you trying to flip me off?” Dante asked. “Cause I think you’re using the wrong finger, kiddo.”

“C’mon, Dante. I pinky-promise I won’t laugh at you,” Nero said. “It’s something I do with the kids at home when I want them to trust me.”

“Listen, that's _real_ cute, but it’s not something I’m ready to discuss with you yet,” Dante sighed. “Maybe something I _never_ will.”

“Is it that bad that you can’t trust me?” Nero tried.

Dante’s gaze darkened, a deep frown ceasing his lips as he sighed. “Alright, fine. You promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“I promise.”

“I’m in love with your father.”

"What?"

It took every muscle in his being to keep it steady. The announcement came so fast that Nero had to replay it in his head to make out what Dante had said. He replayed it three times in his head, praying to Sparda’s ass that this was some fucked up nightmare, but when Dante showed no signs of taking back his words. Nero released a breath he didn’t remember holding.

“You mean as family, right?”

The sudden sadness displayed on Dante’s eyes made Nero’s stomach flip.

“No—I meant in a romantic sense.” Dante choked out. “Geez, do you gotta make me spill it out for you?”

“Are you serious?” A brief flicker of pain flashed before Dante’s face and disappeared.

“I’m seri—

Nero punched him with Punchline, sending Dante flying into the nearest wall. The building that once stood, crumbled into dust and surrounded Dante’s fallen body like snow. Nero called back Punchline and kneeled down in front of his groaning uncle.

“I'm gonna give you five seconds to take back what you said,” Nero said.

“Not a chance.” Dante coughed, blood popping out of his mouth. “Looks like I definitely deserved that though. That really hurt.”

“You do realize that asshole you’re romantically in love with is my fucking biological father and your twin brother, right? Do you have any idea how fucked up that sounds?” Nero asked.

“Well, when you put it that way, it does sound weird.”

“It’s called _incest,_ Dante!”

Dante frowned, his shoulders sagging down at the accusation. “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in, Nero. Trust me, I tried to deny it, but I can’t—I just don’t know what to do.”

Nero ran his fingers through his hair and began pacing around like a caged animal. Dante almost made a comment on how Vergil-like Nero looked with his hair slightly brushed back, then decided against it if he wanted to walk out of here alive. His tailbone suffered enough injuries for today and he was getting too old to be knocked around like a ping-pong ball.

“This has gotta be some fucked up nightmare.” Nero muttered.

Dante laughed, bitterly. “Trust me, it’s not.”

Nero glanced down at his beaten uncle and crossed his arms. “So what the fuck are you gonna do now? Ask him out? Kiss him? Marry him?”

“First of all, I haven’t even thought about it that far.” Dante flushed, resting his head against the rubble. “And second of all, I know a place nearby where we can go for some drinks. Whaddya say we go for a couple rounds and maybe discuss this mess over there?”

“Sounds good to me.” Nero quipped. “I could really use a drink for this shit.”

“Great, I had a feeling you’d say that. Now help me pop my tailbone in place because I think one of them punctured my intestines.”

—

“So how did you know?” Nero asked, downing his fourth shot. “That you, romantically...”

“Love him?”

_“Yeah.”_

The red devil-hunter fidgeted in his seat, staring blankly at his own glass drink and blew out a sigh. “After we destroyed the Qliphoth and returned from the underworld, I thought it’d be the perfect time to start over. A new beginning. It started with a slap on the back, a few jabs here and there, and then we just became handsy,” Dante paused and sipped his drink. “Well, I did, not him. Vergil’s never had human contact for a long time, so I thought maybe I could show him the brotherly love he’s been missing for so long,” Dante explained. “That’s when he got used to it and decided to do the same with me.”

“That’s…” Nero’s face scrunched up at the end. “Let me guess, his touch fucking turns you on, now?”

Dante flushed, careful not to crush the glass in his hands as he spoke. “In sense, yes.”

“Okay. That’s really...” Nero held his tongue. “I guess I can understand why though.”

Dante perked up his head.

“But that doesn’t mean I fucking approve it!”

“Nero—

“He’s my father, Dante! Just think about this for a second okay? What if you and I were to get together? Doesn’t that shit gross you out one bit?” Nero asked.

Dante blinked at him, brows raised, and lips curved. Dante was laughing, _hard._ Nero swore he would have knocked the living daylights out of him again if they weren’t in public. As tempting as it was to sock his uncle, Nero resorted with a hard kick in his leg to stop him from causing a scene.

“Sorry, kid. I gotta break it to you, but I don’t see how that could ever happen, besides you got your girly and I got what? Your deadbeat father who can’t even take care of himself!” Dante exclaimed. He wiped the crocodile tears forming from his eyes and wheezed with a grin. “Though, I do get where you’re going with this.”

“Just answer the question, damn it!”

“Then why the hell not?”

_Ohmygod._ Nero scrunched his face in mild disgust. “You really wouldn’t care if we were a thing, huh?”

“Eh, you’re already taken, what the hell is the point in chasing ya if you only fancy church girls?”

“That’s not—It’s not like you have any taste in women either!”

Dante hummed in response, leaning against the counter as he swirled his glass. “Maybe I never did.”

Nero stared at his uncle for a long moment, allowing the chatter of the bar to fill in the gaps as he processed Dante’s words. He had a sneaking suspicion that Vergil somehow affected Dante’s love life when it came to women. Whenever he was around Nico, the old man never seemed interested. With Lady and Trish, it was different, they acted more like close friends than lovers, and to top it off, Dante didn’t seem like the type to fall for soft girls like Kyrie anyways. Maybe Dante was right about himself, he probably never had a taste in women or he was just awfully bad at relationships. Nero released a sigh and sunk in his seat, defeated.

“Does he know?”

Dante looked at him, in thought. “He’s always got his nose in books. I highly doubt he knows…”

“Okay, so do you want him to know?”

Dante frowned and fiddled with glass in his hands. “I shouldn’t—It’ll destroy everything—our relationship. I can’t do that to him, he’s already lost so much.”

“What’s there to lose if you told him though? I thought you said you wanted to start over.” Nero replied.

Dante stared at Nero for a moment, lips parted and eyes in deep thought.

“So what if I did?” Dante asked.

“That’s an answer you’ll have to find out on your own.”

“You’re sending me mixed signals here, Nero. Are you actually supporting me here or against me?”

Nero flushed and threw up his hands in surrender. “All I’m saying is, if you’re certainly, _truly_ in love with my father—then fine—Go fetch, but spare me the details about your sex life and shit if it works out in the end, alright?”

Dante smiled with far too many teeth.

“Thanks, Nero. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, don’t get used to it.” Nero muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

Dante didn’t mind people watching, especially when it came to Vergil. 

He stuffed his porn magazine close to his nose and stared at his twin, his gaze mapping every detail of his thin lips, his deadly eyes, and his fucking thighs. _Oh, yes._ He had to thank Sparda’s genes for that. Those thighs were simply too gorgeous to miss. Dante could stare at Vergil all day and would never get bored, except maybe for that stinky book he was holding. _Fuck that book._ He hated that thing. It was good knowing that his older twin had other hobbies than raising hell, but it was annoying to know that a book was far more interesting than him. He’d rather have Vergil sitting there, watching him, then reading. 

Dante’s eyes traveled lower to Vergil’s figure, resting on that little tight bulge there. His eyes averted the moment he heard the pages turning in Vergil’s lap before Dante resumed staring. He wanted nothing more, but to rip that stupid book out of his brother’s hands and claim his heart, take his brother right there, pin him against the couch, and fuck him like there no tomorrow. It was tempting, even his demon agreed to it, but then he remembered the look on Nero’s face when he told him of his dirty little secret. It made Dante want to shoot himself, how messed up in the head he was for wanting something so absurd. Maybe there is something wrong with him. _Something—_

Vergil suddenly snapped his book shut, catching Dante’s eyes. “I know you’ve been watching me for the past ten minutes, Dante. Whatever it is that you’re concerned about, just say it.”

Dante felt his heart rate speed up as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously “Oh, have I been staring? I didn’t notice.”

Vergil’s gaze flickered, his face scrunching in annoyance as he crossed his arms. “What is it you wish to tell me, little brother?”

_“S’Nothing.”_

“That’s very concerning coming from you.”

“What? You got a problem with that?”

Vergil emerged from his seat. Each step sent Dante reeling back, his heart pounding in his ears, and his stomach aching mad. He could barely contain the blood rushing to his face when Vergil leaned in, pried the porn magazine from his hands, and threw it across the room. 

Neither of them bothered to look where it landed. 

“I do have a problem with it, _Dante._ Whenever you’re thinking, you start drinking excessively.” Vergil hissed.

“Well, what can I say?” Dante asked, leaning back in his seat with a sigh. “Old habits die hard.”

Vergil scowled at him. “Does this have something to do with my _son_ — _Nero_ —by any chance?”

“What? No! Of course not!”

“Does it concern me?”

_“No.”_

“Then what is it, Dante!”

“I told you! It’s nothing!”

“So it does have something to do with me.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“I’m not a fool when anyone can easily recognize your imprudent behavior.”

“Gosh, I’m surprised you care so much.”

“We’re brothers, Dante. I know you well enough to know there’s something wrong.”

“Yeah, I’d figure you’d say that.”

Vergil’s lips fell into a frown. 

The pout was enough to stir something ugly in Dante’s stomach. He wanted out, say whatever was on his mind, and run, but there was a strong force that held him back. He couldn’t stop staring. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Vergil. It was hard not to look at pretty things and Vergil was the definition of pretty through his eyes. 

“Dante, you’re doing it again,” Vergil said.

 _Shit._ Dante felt his throat go dry—Blood rushing up his face—The tips of his ears turning bright red as his coat. He was so torn. His older brother hardly showed human emotions, yet here he was, wearing his stitched heart on his sleeve for him. It’s been four months. During those times, Dante did everything in his power to open his older brother’s heart. To show him how it’s okay to be human, okay to be vulnerable, and to not kill people if someone disagreed with him. His brother trusted him, he was his family, even if he never said that he loved him, and had been apart for almost 30 years. Vergil just wasn’t ready. Dante couldn’t dump his feelings onto him like this. Not when Vergil wasn’t stable yet. 

Dante froze the moment Vergil’s hand rested in his forehead. His mind went entirely blank. The only things he registered was the gentle warmth behind his twin’s touch. Those slender hands, those fingers that easily melted through his walls with a prick of a finger, and _oh._ It was enough to shatter whatever self-control Dante had. He didn’t mean it when he reflexively slapped his brother’s hand away and bolted so goddamn fast that hardly could hear Vergil calling for him. 

Dante needed _to get out._

_To run._

_To fly._

So he did. 

Power embraced him like a blanket. The purpose to flee was enough to Sin Devil-Trigger and take off at an alarming speed that no mortal on the planet could ever acquire. He zapped through the sky and fled until his demonic energy was sapped out of him. He threw his limp form against the dirt, rolling several times, smashing into trees, and took the whole forest down with him. 

_It was pointless._

He soaked all pain into his heart, not caring about the wood chips getting stuck into his skin or the bloody pain throbbing in his lower back. He just allowed gravity to take him until he lied on his back facing the starry sky, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He couldn't breathe. He couldn’t think. All Dante knew was that… _He was in love—in love with his own twin brother_. Dante thought about what Nero had told him, the disgust on his face, and the disapproval when he left the bar. 

_Disgusting. It was fucking disgusting._

It was written all over Nero’s face and it hurts to imagine it on Vergil’s face. _It hurts._

Dante placed an arm over his eyes to stop the tears from shedding, but they wouldn’t stop.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Dante asked the midnight sky. He was fucking forty years old for cryin’ out loud.

—

Dante pressed the telephone against his ear and quickly punched in the numbers on the keypad, pursing his lips as the phone buzzed before Nero had finally picked up. 

“Hello?” Croaked a voice.

“Nero, listen, I need to talk to you.”

“Dante…” Nero whispered, sounding like he got run over by Nico’s van. “Do you fucking realize what time it is? It’s 4AM in the mornin’, you idiot!”

“I’m sorry, but it’s urgent.”

Nero groaned, sounding like he was getting out of bed. “What happened now? Did you two fight again?” 

“Actually, it’s another personal matter.”

“Don’t tell me you chicken out, old man.”

“Jackpot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember that drinking contest between Dante and Gilver in the Devil May Cry manga? yep, thats how Vergil knows about his drinking habits, i just wanted to mention it in case there was any doubt.
> 
> next chapter will posted next friyay!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante doesn't know wat he's doing. Nero just Nero. Vergil's just hella confused af

“Holy shit, you look like you just got run over by Nico.” Nero said, taking a seat in front of Dante. His face immediately scrunched up at the stench of demon entrails he recognized all too well. “Shit, when was the last time you showered and what the hell happened?”

Dante painfully rubbed his eyes. They were swollen and puffy, the dark circles under his eyes didn’t make him look any better. He stared glumly at his melting strawberry sundae and took a small spoonful, frowning. Nero had never seen Dante look so sad eating a strawberry sundae. It was like all the life in Dante’s soul had been sucked out of him with every bite. 

“I screwed up,” Dante mumbled, stuffing a spoonful of cream in his mouth. “Been avoiding Vergil like the plague and haven’t even come home yet. He’s probably gonna kill me for this.”

Nero furrowed his brows at the news, not liking where this was going. “What exactly did you say to him?” 

Dante shifted slightly in his seat, his eyes shyly meeting Nero’s for the first time they sat in the diner. The expression on his face was grave when he spoke. 

“I didn’t tell him anything,” Dante said.

Nero’s brows knitted together, giving Dante _the mommy stare_ Kyrie always does when the kids always did something wrong. It was intentionally designed to make the person feel discomfort and to his satisfaction, it always worked. 

“What the hell are you giving me that look for?” Dante grouched. “It’s not my fault I wasn’t able to let it out!”

“You’re fucking forty, Dante! Get a hold of yourself and just tell him already!” Nero shouted, slamming his fists on the table. “How hard can it be? Oh, Vergil, guess _what?_ I’m your brother and I love you because you make my heart go _pew pew!”_

Dante crossed his arms and raised a mirthful brow at the young devil-hunter. Whatever sadness lurked in his eyes disappeared completely and was replaced by bubbly amusement. Nero couldn’t help, but sense an accomplishment on his behalf.

“If that’s your best impression of me, kid, then I gotta say, it’s an embarrassment.” Dante said, tilting his head and eyeing at something behind Nero. “Look, you’re even scaring the customers.”

Nero followed Dante’s gaze, noticing the empty seats around them for the first time and how the humans have inhabited their seats in the farthest corner of the room. Of course the humans were scared. With Nero’s Red Queen sitting beside him and both Dante and Nero wearing clothes that were far from civil, it was obvious they stood out from the crowd. And to top it off, their white hair screamed Sparda, they were blood descendants of their Savior who they used to worship.

Nero turned his gaze back at Dante to find him shoveling down his strawberry sundae in one go. The young devil-hunter slapped a hand over his face, sighing. _What a manchild._ No wonder why Vergil always had a knack for stabbing Dante, his uncle was always acted obnxiously stupid at times. 

“Maybe it’s because some idiot forgot to bathe last night and stinks of demon goo,” Nero said, watching Dante lick the remains of his sundae on his lips. He really wanted to punch him.

“Hm, I wonder who that idiot could be,” Dante chuckled.

Nero frowned, leaning back in his booth feeling defeated as he watched his uncle release a quick burp. It was a pain watching the old man in this state because it reminded how close he seemed to be retiring. Nero didn’t even want to think about carrying the family business alone. It was too far in the future.

“Dante, I’m being serious here. You can’t expect my father to take a hint without telling him. You gotta lay it out,” Nero reasoned. “Otherwise he’ll be stuck in limbo for god knows how long.”

“Listen,” Dante said, dramatically gesturing with hands. “I’ll tell him when he’s ready. Now is not the right time for that, alright?” 

“Fine, tomorrow then.”

“How about a year?”

 _“Sure._ At this point, we’d be dead by the time that happens.”

“You don’t think I can do it?” 

“With the way we're killing time. I don’t think so,” Nero said.

“Trust me, I got this!” Dante exclaimed.

Nero furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. For a moment Dante was stunned silent by how similar he looked to his father. The knitted brows, the cute nose, and the eyes. 

Nero kicked Dante in the knee, _hard._

“Are you even paying attention?” Nero snapped. 

“I am,” Dante lied. 

“Nico’s waiting for us outside,” Nero said, placing down the bill and grabbing Red Queen and emerging from his seat. “Better hurry up and get your ass out there, old man. He’s not gonna wait for you forever.”

—

Dante stood outside of the steps of Devil May Cry, staring longingly at the bolted doors. After the nice treat at the diner, Nico had come to pick them up and Nero ordered her to dump Dante in front of his shop so that they could go on a mission far outside of Redgrave. As childish as it sounds, he even requested the kid to accompany him, to be his wingman, which Nero ultimately refused due to his hectic schedule for today and that he had a mission outside of Redgrave City. 

“You got this, Dante.” The red devil-hunter sucked in a breath and opened the doors to his shop, surprised to see it empty and the windows closed. He prodded into his office, noting how strangely squeaky clean his floor was and his desk completely cleared of paperwork. _Huh._ Dante approached his desk, examining the photo of his mother and noticed there was not a single speck of dust on the edges of her photo-frame. He scratched his head, wondering if Morrison or Patty decided to do some deep cleaning when he was out. Usually Patty was the one cleaning his office, which meant that girl must've found some way of getting in here. Dante turned to the kitchen, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest when Vergil emerged from the shadows with his signature coat absent. A deep shade of red colored Dante’s cheeks as his eyes greeted his brother’s gaze, then down to his strong toned arms. _Well, shit._ No wonder why his office so damn clean.

“I see you’ve returned.” Vergil spoke with a coolness to his voice. “I was wondering when you’d arrive.”

His brother was holding a white mug customized that said **DEADBEAT FATHER** in thick bold letters. It was a gift that he received three months ago from Nico as a joke and welcome back, of course. 

“Yeah,” Dante replied, dumbly, casting his eyes at the wall behind Vergil, admiring it. He wasn’t sure if he was even keeping his voice steady. “I’m back.”

“I saw Nero drop you off,” Vergil pressed on. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with my son lately, haven't you?”

There was something sad in the way his older twin mentioned his son. Something Dante didn’t understand what his twin was trying to imply. His icy gaze always seemed bothered whenever he and Nero hung out. It had only taken him what? A day to know the kid? After shooting the old prick running the whole operation and getting dropped kicked in the face, then impaled by the Rebellion was all Dante needed to know what the little pitbull possessed. Nero was a fun kid to mess around, except Vergil didn’t exactly see it that way. Nero was someone special to him, a child who needed protection, and Dante couldn’t agree less. The kid needed a strong figure to shield him from the bad.

“What’s the matter? You jealous of me hanging around your son?” Dante asked, trying to keep his heart rate controlled. The damn thing wouldn’t stop no matter how hard he tried to floor it. “Tell ya what, next time we hang out, I’ll let you join in on us.”

Vergil was scowling now, and oh boy was it sexy. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I only wanted to know why you’ve been avoiding me for the past few days.” Vergil stated, simply. “You’ve been acting rather strange this week and it’s been… _distracting.”_

 _“You’re distracting,”_ went unsaid as Dante watched his brother’s lips take a delightful sip from his mug. He would do anything to be that mug. 

“Maybe I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately,” Dante said with a shrug.

“As I suspected,” Vergil said with a slight tilt of his head. “Is running away all you can do?”

“What is this? An interrogation or an interview?” Dante fired back. 

_“Both.”_ Vergil replied.

The red devil-hunter felt his heart jump over 1000 hurdles when Vergil set his mug on his desk and summoned Yamato to his side. There were so many things going through Dante’s mind as he processed the playful smirk plastered on his older twin’s face, the small quip of his lips, and his eyes— _holy fuck—_ Dante literally thought he was gonna melt right underneath his predatory gaze. His brother was too damn hot for his world and it stinks to know he’s his own fucking flesh and blood. Dante wanted to stab himself, every aspect of this was wrong, so fucking wrong. He would take Nero’s bitch slap right now if he could. Hell, he could even hear the kid saying how much of an idiot he already is.

“Since you refuse to answer me,” Vergil announced. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?”

—

The battle that followed after was a complete mess. 

Compared to Vergil, Dante was absolutely out of it. Every strike was miscalculated, lazy, and sloppy as Dante took a hit from his side, blood seeping through his shirt, and the wound wasn't mending itself together. Without two day’s worth of sleep and his twin brother’s judgement weighing on his shoulders, Dante could feel the side effects eating him from the inside. He didn’t want to fight— _hell—_ he didn’t even care about winning. He was tired and wanted to get this over with it. Fighting had always been Vergil’s language of understanding, and clearly it spoke volumes when Vergil managed to force Dante’s sword to go flying with a ear raping _CLANG!_

It left an opening for Vergil, and Dante, by some fucking miracle managed to dodge it just in time, but his landing? His foot? _Not so much._ Dante mentally cursed the planet’s gravity and physics as he took Vergil down with him, ending the battle in a truce. The events that followed after were a blur as Dante could feel the weight of his brother underneath him, their bodies fully flushed and their limbs tangled together. 

“Insufferable,” Vergil growled below him.

Dante felt his lungs stop as he realized the proximity of their faces, their lips, and… For a brief moment, Dante felt completely exposed. His secret laid bare underneath Vergil’s gaze. Concern etched his older twin’s gaze, the glare becoming soft, almost like he stepped on broken glass. Dante quickly threw himself off of his older twin brother, face burning red, and his heart pounding in his ears. He could feel his devil screaming at him to get the hell out of here. _To run._ Anywhere was fine as long as he could get away from Vergil and stop these fucked up thoughts he was having everytime he looked at him. Dante scrambled to his feet, darting for the sky until Vergil grabbed a fistful of his arm before he could flee. The jerk was rough enough to send Dante reeling against his brother’s chest. Eyes wide. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Vergil demanded, his lips were parted and breathing unsteady from their match. “We have unfinished business to take care of, _little brother.”_

“Sorry to break it to ya, I just remembered something important,” Dante said in a desperate tone, trying to pull out of Vergil’s iron grip.

Nothing seemed to work unfortunately.

“And what could possibly be more important?” Vergil asked.

“It doesn’t concern you.” Dante muttered, twisting his head away, he couldn’t stand looking at his older twin like this. He didn’t deserve him. He was filthy, disgusting for acting on his urges like this, perhaps ashamed even, but for some reason his devil was encouraging him. Encouraging him to take action. 

The grip on Dante’s arm, tightened. 

“Look at me, Dante.”

Dante slowly turned around and looked into Vergil’s eyes, then to his lips, and then back at his icy cool gaze. He just wanted to kiss the bastard so bad. He wanted to know what he tasted like—he just—he shouldn't—

So he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post, been really busy with work!
> 
> next chapter will we posted on friyay!


	4. Chapter 4

The kiss was harmless. 

Vergil felt like he was frozen in time, his mind paralyzed to what had occurred between him and Dante. Every fiber of his being disobeyed him, he felt his control slipping the moment he felt an odd knot clenching his chest and the air in his lungs freeze. Vergil felt overwhelmed by these strange emotions—uncertain on how to address them. The moment Dante smashed their lips together, the taste of strawberries filled his mouth, his mind went completely white, his fingers around the Yamato became slack, and out of reflex, Vergil sucker punched the living daylights out of his brother so hard that he rolled across from him, his body colliding into a brick wall. At best, he would’ve laughed when the structure collapsed on top of his twin brother, but nothing came out of him except his stunned silence. 

Vergil studied the broken rubble, waiting for the debris to clear and he felt his brother’s blood drip from his battered knuckles. He reached for his lips and could still taste him. Taste that faint strawberry residue lingering in his mouth. He didn’t know what to make of it—what Dante was trying to play here. His thoughts were silenced when Dante began _laughing_ in the distance. 

“Looks like I deserved that one,” Dante coughed. “You folks really love punching me into walls now, huh? Man, that hurt.” He touched his bloodied nose, dribbling down his lips and forming a pool where he was sitting.

Vergil steeled himself to remain cool and kept his gaze stern. 

“I must admit I was not expecting such juvenile behavior coming from the likes of you,” Vergil said in a controlled tone. He refused to let his younger twin brother sway him. To allow himself to sink to his level was foolish despite the ghost of Dante’s lips the tart taste of strawberry lingering on his lips. It must definitely be a trick of some sort, one Dante’s mind games.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect you to bitch slap me either. I was waiting for Yamato, but I guessed wrong.” Dante wheezed.

“If that technique was your method of throwing me off guard,” Vergil argued, “then expect your tongue to go flying off next.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t mind that,” Dante replied.

“Then you wouldn’t mind explaining yourself,” Vergil said.

Dante replied with a bloodied spit on the ground, his hand sliding over his nose and popping it with a ear-raping crack. 

Vergil frowned at his display. “What is the meaning of this, Dante?”

The red devil-hunter remained perfectly still, his gaze sinking to the ground. He didn’t answer, so Vergil pressed on. “You’ve been acting strange lately and have been hanging out with Nero. I understand you’re incredibly fond of him. If he’s the reason for your juvenile behavior, then I am going to have a word with him.”

“No, it has nothing to do with him,” Dante replied.

“If it doesn’t concern my son, then what is it, Dante?” Vergil asked.

“I love you, Vergil.” 

Vergil felt every inch of his bones freeze. His ears ringing at the words that just left Dante’s mouth. He stared longingly at his twin brother, who lied disheveled against the broken platform, bloody, and battered. Underneath those silver white locks, Vergil could see Dante staring back at him, waiting for his answer, and Vergil, being the one who usually knew how to respond to his brother’s banter, was left speechless. Affection and love coming from Dante was never something he’d live to hear. No, his twin had almost tried to kill him four months ago and would’ve stopped him if he found out he was V. 

“Surprised?” Dante questioned with a grin. 

Vergil frowned, schooling his gaze to match his twin and said, in a very calm voice. “If this is one of your antics, then I’m going to put this manner to rest.”

A brief flash of pain flickered across Dante’s face, the grin immediately falling from his lips. “Vergil, I’m being serious.”

“Is this what you’ve been wanting to tell me?” Vergil asked, ignoring the heartbeat pounding in his ears. “For the past few days?”

“Well, yes, and when I said, love, I don’t mean it in that way.” Dante said, softly. 

Vergil wanted to pinch his nose. This wasn’t what he’d thought would’ve come out of Dante’s mouth. He suspected his twin’s behavior was due to his son’s irrational behavior, but this endless cycle of questions and short answers was the least expected. And for once, they were handling this much more humanely than blinding stabbing each other. 

At the distance, he could hear Dante attempting to stand, the rubble cracking under his weight where he fell, and Vergil, being torn between guilt and frustration, went to his aid despite disliking this strange fuzzy fondness he was feeling inside him. The blue devil-hunter carefully slid his arms around his younger brother’s waist, allowing most of Dante’s weight to lean on him and carried him to lower ground. At this proximity, Vergil could feel Dante’s hair tickling his skin and the dreadful rush of heat coming off from his twin in waves. No matter how hard his younger twin tried to hide his face, it was no secret that it was flushed red like his coat. 

“I love you, not because you’re my brother,” Dante wheezed, he gripped his side, “but because you’re the one I want to be with…”

Vergil’s snowy brows knitted at strange confession. 

“It’s not like we have a choice in the matter.” Vergil said, propping Dante next to a tree. 

_“Romantically_ , it is,” Dante replied with a slight grunt 

Vergil slid off his arms from Dante as he studied his twin brother long and hard. His mind spun like a hamster wheel and after a long silence, he broke the ice. 

“Dante, you know that’s not acceptable in terms of human morals,” Vergil stated.

“We aren’t human,” Dante reminded him. 

“Then what are we, Dante?” Vergil asked.

“We can be whatever we want to be,” Dante grinned. His smile faded when he noticed the slight hesitation on Vergil’s face and it seemed to hurt. “Do you love me, Vergil?” 

Vergil didn’t answer.

“Just—please—think about.” Dante said, clamping his other hand on his twin’s shoulder.

As aloof Vergil may seem, he never missed the flicker of sadness in Dante’s glassy aged eyes and the slight hitch in his sigh. There was something odd in the way Vergil’s chest ached when he watched his younger twin walk past him with his head held high and fists clenched. A part of Vergil wanted to reach out and stop him from leaving, but a wall—a barrier—refused to let him do it. 

“Where are you going?” Vergil asked, his voice sounded forced, almost like cotton was in his throat. 

Dante continued walking and never returned his gaze. 

_“Home.”_

—

Vergil leaned against the tree where Dante departed where his gaze remained fixated on the puddle of his brother’s blood glistening in the sun. Ever since Dante had left, his heart refused to calm. It was like he was V again. His heart racing in fear, fearing for his life, his death, and his oneself, except this time it wasn’t fear. It was a pleasant feeling, warm and fuzzy. It soothed him, knowing how important it meant to be human. His adventures as V taught him a valuable lesson of the human consciousness and his reign of Urizen showed him the ugly truth of power—as tempting it is to pursue—it didn’t mean everything to him...

He reflected on those days when he was young, when he once felt loved by his mother, and eventually fell for a woman during his visit to the Order of the Sword. Whatever happened after, was lost in memory stripped away from when he was Nelo Angelo as soon as Mundus corrupted him. 

Vergil winced at the aching pain in his head. With his nightmares gone, his mind was just an empty slate with whispers of voices telling him that there is nothing there to look for. Vergil knew it was for the best and didn’t pry any further. He ran a hand over his forehead to slick back the few strands of hair falling to his face. What he didn’t understand was why the kiss should’ve disgusted him, but oddly enough, he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. 

Vergil clenched his fists. 

It was hard to say he loved Dante. He viewed their relationship as platonic and nothing else than just brothers fooling around and doing things together because they’re family, yet the one word that kept setting him off was… _romantically?_ The words alone carried a weight to it that Vergil wasn’t sure he should proceed yet. He couldn’t even picture how his mother and father would react if they found out they’d rather settle with each other than someone else that could possibly be worthy of their attention. Moreover, how Nero would react if they found he and Dante were getting freaky with each other. The idea of it made Vergil feel anxious. His four months spent learning how to be human did not come with instructions on how to handle a hot-tempered son finding out their father and uncle are romantically into each other despite being blood-relatives.

Vergil slapped a hand over his face and sighed. “Damn, buffoon.” 

The sound of heels clicking beside him forced Vergil’s hand on Yamato. His body froze when he recognized the blonde hair and blue eyes from anywhere. It was the bitch demon—the demon who posed as his mother. 

“You’re Vergil, right?” The demon asked, holding out her hand to him. “Do you remember me when you were, V?”

It was a blunt question that would’ve set Vergil off, but for some reason it didn’t. 

“Trish.” Vergil answered calmly, accepting the hand, then added. “Dante’s friend.”

“So I am,” the demon smiled, crossing its arms. “Well, how is he? Dante, I mean.”

Vergil took a steady breath, trying his earnest to keep his expression schooled. “He’s fine.”

Trish’s gaze flickered. “Last time I checked, he was out getting wasted with your son.” The demon replied, strutting around the devil-hunter. “Sounds like something’s been on his mind for a while.”

The demon paused by the rubble, cocking its head at the fresh blood staining the debris, and sniffed. It was evident she knew who the blood belonged to because the moment the demon around turned with a motherly look Eva had always given him when he did something bad. Vergil knew Trish had struck a chord in him.

“I assume you have something to do with him,” Trish said. “Care to explain what this is all about?”

Vergil’s controlled expression fell by a fraction. “And why do you assume I have anything to do with _him?”_

The demon’s expression hardened. “The last time I’ve seen Dante like this is when he killed you as Nelo Angelo.”

Vergil opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out except for the silent ache of pain pulsing in his head. He steeled himself and narrowed his eyes at the smiling demon who resembled too much of their mother. The smile alone was enough to make him feel like a child again, where he was loved and didn’t need to care about a thing in the world. 

“I’m worried about him,” Trish finally admits, looking out in the distance. “I know it’s not my business, but I hate seeing him like this. He always drinks when something’s on his mind.”

Vergil frowned. “I suppose we can both agree he’s been acting rather strange of late.”

“You got that right,“ Trish said.

“Believe what you will, demon. Not too long ago Dante confessed his undying love to me, in a sense that wasn’t brotherly, but romantically.” Vergil blurted out without much thought.

Trish stared at him like none of this information seemed to bother it. Instead, what Vergil felt like was his layers being peeled off one by one. It was like it was dissecting him, analyzing his sentences with careful precision, and thinking up ways to get him to say more. This was how V felt when he spoke with this clone. He wanted to tell her everything because his mind begged to find some sort of closure with this demon. Trish’s appearance was nothing more than a way to get him to be comfortable to say things he didn’t mean, things he’d rather keep to himself. 

“Did you say yes?” Trish asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Vergil ignored the thumping in his heart and said, calmly. “I haven’t been able to calculate a reasonable answer for that.”

“And why is that? _”_ It asked.

“We’re brothers.” Vergil replied.

“So it seems.” The demon rolled its eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And your point _being?”_ Vergil said.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Dante’s never laid in bed with anyone since you died,” Trish answered.

“Ridiculous,” Vergil said, knitting his eyebrows together. “What does _that_ have anything to do with this?”

“If you don’t believe me, why not ask Nero yourself?” Trish said.

Vergil sighed. “Leave my son out of this madness. He isn’t the root of this problem.”

“Then let me ask you this,” Trish said, carefully. “Do you have feelings for him? For Dante?” 

It took a good full second for Vergil to think. _Did he love Dante?_

“I am... Uncertain.” Vergil replied, lamely.

“It’s obvious Dante doesn’t see you eye to eye based on how you described him,” Trish said. “I’d say his romantic attraction for you developed into some sort of fear of rejection and the only method for him to cope with this is by drinking.”

Vergil reflexively brushed his fingers against Yamato, frowning as he began piecing two and two together. “Are you certain you speak the truth?”

“There’d be no benefit for me to lie to a _friend,”_ Trish shrugged, its gaze genuine. The demon stepped closer to him, and Vergil almost stepped backwards, but steeled himself not to. “I also wanted to apologize for what happened on Mallet Island. Had I not been fooled by Mundus, I would’ve tried to save you instead,” it said, then in soft voice it said. “I would have freed you.”

Something shifted inside Vergil as he saw the guilt all over the spitting image of his mother’s face. He wondered what advice Eva would’ve given him knowing now that his younger twin was madly in love with him and befriended a bitch-demon who looked like their mother during his journey. It unsettled him to see Trish attempting to mend their relationship through compensation and labeling him as her _friend…_ Sure she had saved him many times when he was V, but that didn’t mean they were friends… More like acquaintances. 

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Vergil said. “The past will remain history and so will ours. Let it begone.”

Trish’s eyes flickered into something warm, so much that Vergil felt his cheeks slightly heat at the sudden life in her expression. He flicked his gaze away and said with a steady voice. “You’re a clever demon... Dante taught you well.”

Trish laughed and gently punched him in the chest. “That makes two of us, don’t you forget that this is important too,” she said, referring to his heart.

“Right,” Vergil said, a pause, and then. “Thank you, Trish."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its 3am and im so sorry for not updating sooner!! its here though! i swear im not dead yet!! 
> 
> And im really happy that everyone is enjoying this, thank you to those you left kudos and commented! I appreciate it.


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